[open]

[note_atem]

Busy, busy, busy. You'd warned Atem he wouldn't be able to see you for the weekend due to some work that had piled up on you. He'd accepted, of course, with a grin nonetheless. Work\school\whatever is important so he knows to stay out of the way. It was late into Sunday. You had made so much progress. Almost finished. Almost done...

Comments

/sneaks in here

[shutupandduelme]

It wasn't often that Kaiba got to indulge in pure engineering anymore. Ever since he finished the design of the first Duel Disk, he had been stuck in the relative monotony of desk work, with only his relationships (which he would never ever admit to) keeping his interest. But now he had something to design again. It was another pure projector, and since he knew the minute details of SolidVision better than anyone, he got to build it. The 'Pocket-D' projector, designed to allow the owner to carry around their own 'pet' Duel Monster, would bring more kids into the game. His future customers, of course. But that kind of work required absolute concentration, and for that he had been forced to keep Atem out for at least a few days

icu

[note_atem]

In his stupor he wasn't really sure where else to go. Or was it really that Kaiba's own fortress was about as safe as he felt he could get? He wasn't sure anymore. All he knew was that he was trying to walk in a way that was convincing- the pain in his back was overwhelming but he couldn't really say why that might be. Not yet.

He followed quietly, drenched, shaking with what was most likely cold. Every step seemed to fill him more and more with dread and he couldn't put his finger on why. "I ..." Finally, "I shouldn't have come here." Yes, obviously. Not even Kaiba was happy to see him.

Before he could register his next thought, a maid arrived, phone in hand. "Kaiba-sama, I know you asked not to be disturbed but..." The way Atem was watching her was full of absolute panic. "It's the head detective of the police department."

Nowai

[shutupandduelme]

Kaiba just rolled his eyes and shut the door behind the other man. It was a pointless thing to be worrying about now. Atem was here, and in this condition, would not be leaving until an explanation was offered. His rival was foolish, but not foolish enough to come stumbling in soaking wet yet expecting to go right back outside again.

The CEO was ready to challenge him, but the maid interrupted. A withering glare was lowered on her. "I don't care if it's the Emperor, I asked not to be disturbed," he said darkly. "Find out what the man wants and make up something, if you have to."

yeswai

[note_atem]

Atem looked between the two of them and that flighty feeling of terror struck at him again. Yes, maid. Go away. Take the police with you. Whatever this feeling was it must have certainly been because of that.

She frowned, lowering her eyes. "They're looking for Atem-sama. Something about wandering away from the scene of a crime."

That was it. The death sentence.

[shutupandduelme]

Blue eyes abruptly narrowed. "Is that so?" Kaiba replied, his tone turned icy. "Natsumi, call Legal. I pay them too much for all of them to be asleep at this hour. Don't stop until you get someone on the phone."

With that, he moved. One hand seized the phone the maid was carrying, while the other closed firmly on Atem's shoulder. He knew damn well Atem would try to sneak off if he could, and he wasn't having it.

"Kaiba," he barked into the receiver, as if the caller needed reminding of who he was trying to contact this early in the morning.

[note_atem]

Atem tensed, his head falling to the side with a tight grit of his teeth. That had hurt. But he was doing his damn best not to show it.

The detective on the other line sounded entirely too tired and too uncaring about any of this. Just a man doing his job- and one who didn't really care about the fate of the man he was looking for.

"Have you made any contact with or seen Mutou Atem in the past hour?"

[shutupandduelme]

Hurt or not, Kaiba wasn't really paying attention. He wouldn't unless his grip started closing on empty air. Until then, his eyes remained directed straight ahead.

"I don't see why it would be your business to know," Kaiba replied in a tone just as uncaring. He and the police had never exactly been friends. "Generally it would be better to explain why it is you're looking for him before demanding information."

[note_atem]

The detective heaved a sigh, a very deep one. He didn't care so much about this blessed King of Games and he cared even less for Kaiba Seto. He wanted this to be over as soon as possible. And since most of this information would probably be on the late night news in five minutes and in the papers tomorrow morning, it wasn't something he cared so much about keeping secret

[shutupandduelme]

Kaiba's expression quickly turned from anger to confusion. He glanced at Atem a few times during the call, though his grip never loosened.

"I wonder if these neighbors have ever met him before tonight," He replied to the detective, his tone unchanged. "They should know by now that the man is a little bit 'off' to begin with. Now if you're finished, don't call here again unless I give you reason to. I'm not sure why you bothered to call me about my rival. If he was going to run from the law, I doubt I would be the first on his list to come crawling to. Now if you'll excuse me, some of us still have work to do."

The phone was hung up on abruptly. "Now," Kaiba said, his tone all business. "You will explain."

[note_atem]

"Not run from the law, we thought-!!" God he hated those duelists. All of them. Every last one. The city had never been as bad before that stupid game was introduced.

Atem hadn't exactly been watching Kaiba. He had been going through his own thoughts the entire time, even knowing he was probably in trouble. For what ... for ..

He looked up at Kaiba once the other started talking to him again. But his eyes dropped just as quickly as they'd raised. He frowned. Yes. He knew. The pain had been a very good reminder. "It's gone. All of it."

[shutupandduelme]

"So I just heard," Kaiba replied. "But I need to know who did it, and why. If the police are interested in you, you must have seen something."

He had a hard time trusting the detective's explanation. The Domino police had never been the most fastidious on just checking on victims. There had to be some suspicion placed on Atem for something, or they wouldn't waste the energy trying to track him down.

[note_atem]

"I didn't see anything!" Extremely defensive so suddenly. He wasn't even sure why he'd yelled. He hadn't wanted to. But so quickly he was drawing up into himself, trying to jerk away from Kaiba; shaking too.

His head stayed turned away. "I tried to get out but-" His hands clenched at his sides. "I went back for..." One hand moved to his hip, underneath the worn out hoodie to that box around his belt. The only thing left. Of course. His deck. "They must have thought I was chasing someone but I wasn't. It was why I got ...."

His eyes closed tightly. "Forget it. I shouldn't have come here." He just wanted to run. He had nowhere to go now but he needed to leave. He just couldn't breathe anymore.

[shutupandduelme]

The outburst caused Kaiba to raise an eyebrow in question. "If I let you wander around out there in your condition, you will be caught right outside my gate," Kaiba said bluntly. "Who do you think will get in trouble then? Besides, you are hurt."

He stepped forward, trying to guide Atem up the stairs where the master bathroom and the materials it contained was waiting. "If you are going to try and run from this, at least do it when you are capable of outrunning them," Kaiba added dryly.

[note_atem]

"I'm not outrunning anyone. If they want to talk to me I'll let them. I haven't seen anyone." He didn't know who was setting fires in order to try and kill him but whoever it was, if he stayed there, would surely come after him. He couldn't have that. Yet where else could he stay until he found out?

He backed away from Kaiba, ironically going exactly where the other was prompting him to go. When his hand hit the banister he looked up those stairs. His tone lessened. "I'm fine. You should get back to work. I'll find someone to stay with..." A friend. Hm. Yuugi? Jonouchi?

[shutupandduelme]

At least Atem was moving in the right direction. Kaiba kept stepping forward, hoping to push it as much as possible before he was forced to carry the other.

"Where exactly do you plan to go?" He asked sharply. "Your pet idiots won't be able to protect you at all if someone spots you. One policeman could kick right through the rotten door of that game shop. I'd hate to see what work they would make of the mutt's doghouse. That doesn't even include the press, either."

[note_atem]

"It's not your problem." He was feeling so trapped. That overwhelming feeling of having nothing left seemed to hit him full force. He must have looked so small and so scared and lost then.

"I'll talk to the police." Maybe giving them nothing but with them thinking he was important for something would make them keep him. At least then he'd have somewhere to stay without causing any trouble for anyone. ...yes, that felt like a good plan. He moved towards the other now instead of backwards again. "Go back to work. I'm fine." After saying so he tried to step aside the other.